Hey, thats true! But the thing is that I am still paying for the Bachelors degree I completed in August 06. $34,000.00 plus the $24, 000.00 for the LPN that does not start til MArch 07 I just hope that I will be able to get a good paying salary being an LPN...its hard especially when you have kids..Thatnks god I just have one 10 year old girl..But Im going to do what I have to do, sometimes waiting for that graeat price tuition but it just does not come through so must go w/ private school...

Hey, thats true! But the thing is that I am still paying for the Bachelors degree I completed in August 06. $34,000.00 plus the $24, 000.00 for the LPN that does not start til MArch 07 I just hope that I will be able to get a good paying salary being an LPN...its hard especially when you have kids..Thatnks god I just have one 10 year old girl..But Im going to do what I have to do, sometimes waiting for that graeat price tuition but it just does not come through so must go w/ private school...

Lizzy

You are young... it will all end up averaging out in the end. You have a lot of years ahead of you to make big bucks and pay off those loans. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

I mean, let's say for example that right now you could take an entry level medical aide job for $25k and wait and wait to be accepted into the cheaper nursing school. You might even go into credit card debt because you weren't making enough money.

Whereas if you bite the bullet and pay the money up front, you could start making $43k, $45k or more as an LPN very soon. That's a good $20k more than an aide job.

The $24k will end up paying for itself in a year or two if you think of it that way.

My situation is much different and I have a mortgage up to my ears so I literally cannot afford any more loans right now. So I am having to do it the long, slower way....

I wanted to let u know that Orlando Tech will classify u as a florida resident as long as u have a FL drivers license. At least that is what they told me when I looked into the program shortly after moving to FL from TN. I guess it is really up to u whether you will be more satisfied to pay more money to go to a private school where u can start sooner versus going to a tech school where it may be a while before they can place u (Im thinking summer or fall maybe). Check with Orlando Tech though, and see what the next available class with open seats will be. Are u looking at Americare? I also heard that Herzing just started a new RN program so you may want to look into that as well. Im guessing you may pay around the same price for your RN as you would at Americare for your LPN, so I would call them. here is the link to their program info School of Health Care: Nursing (ASN) - Florida

Good luck hun, and keep us posted on what u decide.

Dec 11, '06

Joined: Nov '06; Posts: 83; Likes: 1

That is a good point on the residency, luv4nursing.

I think Lizzy is in south Florida/Miami area though. Surely they have an accredited vocational tech program down there.

Here is a link I found that helped me choose a school. The state's board of nursing website has a list of accredited, approved schools that offer various nursing programs. If you scroll through, just look for Miami locations:

I really want to thank all of you. You guys have been the best in providing those awesome sites and info. At times majoring in Nursing it can get really tough. All I think about is my daughter and my Parents, and of course my future Husband who has been very helpful in supporting me.

Since a little girl this has been my dream, but Im just so afraid that after completing the LPN that it will be hard to find a Job.

I have a BA in Health Administration, and I was interviewed not so long ago for a Job, where they tried to offer me$9.98 and hr, Im originally from NYC and my last job was $16.00 and Hr.How can I believe that I will be able to get a Job. Most of these hospitals want only RNs. Is that true? Rns are able to walk in any hospital and apply for the job, and get hired in the spot.:uhoh21:

I hope that I make the right decision, I got accepted to one of the schools that were on that list Medvance, I went through entrance exams and etc.....

Hopefully, there should be a program to help out students payback there loans w/ a contract...

Lizzy:spin:

Dec 11, '06

Joined: Nov '06; Posts: 83; Likes: 1

Hey Lizzy,
I don't think you will have a problem finding an LPN job... in fact I think the opposite would be true. You would probably have more opportunities than you would know what to do with. Maybe Luv4Nursing could chime in here because she knows more about it than I do.

My understanding however is that hospitals are moving away from hiring LPNs. LPNs I think have more opportunities in long term care facilities and agencies and so forth. That is where the money is. The few hospital LPN jobs that are out there tend to be lower paying.

I am not surprised that you were offered only $10/hour even with the health BA degree. Those corporate jobs don't pay anything to new grads. I have interviewed for administrative types of jobs with corporations based on my bachelor's degree. Unless you have a lot of experience or some sort of particular skill set that they are looking for, generally new grads are not going to make much money even with business degrees.

This is exactly one of the reasons I want to go into nursing. You don't have to sit behind a desk all day and play office politics and sit in boring meetings. You don't have to put in years and years of work to get a good salary. In nursing, it doesn't matter how old you are. If you have the degree, you get a good salary from day 1. Eventually as you get more experience you will get a premium salary. Yes you will work hard in nursing, but in my opinion it is more meaningful to work one on one with patients than in an office type job.

As a teacher I am looking to make more money in a job that allows me to help others. I could probably go to work in the corporate sector but like you I would be starting out at some low paying entry job. No way.....

You don't just have to be an RN to have lots of opportunities and good money. The LPN thing can just be a way to get started. I don't plan on being an LPN my whole life. It is going to be a means to an end. Once I get the LPN I am going to finish out the school year, quit teaching, and take an LPN job with afternoon or evening hours that will enable me to pursue grad school in the daytime. I already have a bachelor's degree in English. I believe Univ. Central Fla. here in Orlando has an accelerated master's program for RN's who have bachelor's in other subjects. I am very interested in that eventually.

Anyway, if I were you I would not be concerned about LPN opportunities. My impression is that there are plenty....:icon_lol: :Snowman1:

Thanks, for your advice. Im just going to do the LPN and then I will take it from there. My Parents tell me that it is better to be an LPN first that way when you do get in the RN program you don't feel as if you don't know what they are talking about and it should all be related...
Lizzy

Thanks, for your advice. Im just going to do the LPN and then I will take it from there. My Parents tell me that it is better to be an LPN first that way when you do get in the RN program you don't feel as if you don't know what they are talking about and it should all be related...
Lizzy

Thats true! I was lucky to have a friend who is graduating the LPN-RN bridge program Im about to start, and she loaned me her books so I dont have to buy them. She gave me a whole stack of papers, study guides, learning questions, quizzes, etc....and even though I thought I had forgotten everything I learned in school, the majority of what I skimmed over looked familiar!

Oh, and I promise you that you will have NO PROBLEM what-so-ever getting a good job! We had ppl coming to our class for two whole days at the end of the year recruting us! I promise you will have the opportunity to do very well....even to the point where you make as much as RNs on the low end. I was mad bc another nurse I work with is graduating the bridge also and they offered her a job on the floor she did her preceptorship....I was soooo unimpressed with the $19 something an hour they are starting her at. Im like all this extra work to not even top $20/hr which I could do as an LPN? But I am looking at the big picture that it will open up many other doors and also that after gaining some experience you can "write your own ticket" as my parents would say Getting my LPN was the best thing Ive ever done for myself bc it put me in a position to be financially self sufficient. It feels good to know I can take care of myself and I dont "need" a man to take care of me. Its a great feeling to know I dont have to put up with any crap off of any guy bc I can pay my own bills and buy my own stuff lol. Yay for independant women! lol :smilecoffeecup:

Dec 12, '06

Joined: Nov '06; Posts: 83; Likes: 1

Whoa... $19 an hour with the RN degree does sound low. That's $41,000/year...

I wonder if it's because she got the RN from Valencia, versus if she had gotten a BSN through UCF or whatever?

When I've gone to salary.com and typed in "RN" in the Orlando zip code, I thought it said $43,000 to $55,000 was what 80% of RNs were earning here. I guess it depends on their level of experience. Just curious about your take on the subject....I mean, do you think that your friend could make more with her RN from Valencia if she shopped around for different employers?:spin:

P.S. - I agree with you 100% on the financial independence thing! Yea!

P.P.S. - I passed the Nursing Entrance Exam this morning! Now all I need is a CPR class and to get my medical paperwork and transcripts turned in. I am on my way!
:hatparty:

thanks for replying to me luv4nursing. now all i have to figure out is the loan part than im straight. i start on march of 07. i also want to congratulate the other female who passed her exam today. was that for the lpn entrance exam?

well thanks guys at least we have each other all though we dont know what we look like but as long as we know that we have the same passion for the same career thats great..
lizzy:snowman2:

Can u ladies tell I live on the internet? lol. I have an internet addiction! Im on allnurses and myspace all day lol. Im always on at work when I work nights (if my laptop can get an internet signal there), and after I wake up after my morning nap after a night shift, Im back again. Its a plus that the LPN to RN bridge is online since I live on the computer anyway.....my laptop is my lifeline!

Anyhoo.....yeah that $19 is totally lowballing. I guess its the GN rate? I dunno. 41k for another year of busting my behind in school doesnt sound attractive since I made more than that this year as an LPN! lol. I know its not a ASN vs BSN thing bc BSN's dont make more as a floor nurse (well some hospitals pay more, but it is like .25/hr or something lol). Also u have to factor in night and weekend differencials, but yeah I think she could do better if she shopped around. I dont even want to hear anything under $20 and hopefuly $22-$24
an hour. The other thing to consider is once u get about a year under your belt, u can get the high paying jobs and work for agencies and/or travel. The perks are outstanding. Im going to ask around about starting RN rates and Ill let u guys know.